Ishaq Dar and Espen Barth Eide Hold Delegation-Level Talks in Islamabad
Pakistan and Norway have agreed to strengthen cooperation against human smuggling and irregular migration, as the foreign ministers of both countries held high-level talks in Islamabad on Thursday.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide led their respective delegations during talks at Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two sides reviewed the full range of Pakistan-Norway relations, including trade, investment, climate change, maritime affairs, education and people-to-people contacts.
Following the talks, Dar and Eide addressed a joint press conference in Islamabad, where they announced a consensus on working together to tackle human smuggling.
The issue has gained increasing importance for Pakistan and European countries as authorities attempt to dismantle organised networks involved in illegal migration and dangerous journeys towards Europe.
Both sides also discussed possible cooperation in maritime affairs, an area of growing importance because of international shipping, migration routes and regional security.
The talks took place during Eide’s two-day official visit to Pakistan on August 13-14, 2026, which is the first visit by a Norwegian foreign minister to Pakistan in a decade.
Pakistan Steps Up Campaign Against Human Smuggling
The agreement with Norway comes as Pakistan intensifies action against organised migrant-smuggling networks.
In February 2026, Pakistan launched its first dedicated National Action Plan to Counter Migrant Smuggling, developed with support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The plan focuses on stronger law enforcement, improved coordination among government agencies, better investigations and greater international cooperation against criminal networks facilitating illegal migration.
Pakistan has also been working with several European governments to create safer and legal migration pathways while taking action against smugglers.
Earlier this year, Pakistan, Italy, Spain and Greece agreed on a coordinated strategy to combat illegal migration and expand legal routes for Pakistani workers seeking employment in Europe.
Pakistani authorities have increased enforcement following several deadly incidents involving migrants attempting dangerous journeys to Europe.
Government agencies have also expanded airport screening, action against forged travel documents and investigations targeting individuals accused of running human-smuggling networks.
The latest understanding with Norway adds another European partner to Pakistan’s efforts to improve cooperation against organised migrant smuggling.
The practical details of the Pakistan-Norway cooperation, including whether a formal working mechanism or information-sharing arrangement will be established, were not immediately announced.
Trade, Investment and Climate Cooperation Also Discussed
Human smuggling was only one part of the wide-ranging talks between Dar and Eide.
Both delegations reviewed opportunities to increase trade and investment between Pakistan and Norway and discussed cooperation in areas including renewable energy and climate change.
The two governments also examined possibilities for deeper engagement in education and maritime affairs.
Dar said Pakistan values its longstanding relationship with Norway and wants to further expand bilateral cooperation.
He also highlighted the presence of Norwegian companies operating in Pakistan and their contribution to the country’s economy.
The two countries additionally agreed to strengthen people-to-people contacts.
Both sides recognised the important role played by Pakistanis living in Norway in connecting the two countries and supporting economic, cultural and social relations.
The Foreign Office had identified people-to-people ties, renewable energy, climate change, education, trade and investment as key areas for discussion ahead of Eide’s visit.
Norway Praises Pakistan’s Role During Iran-US Conflict
Regional and international developments also featured prominently during the Islamabad talks.
Eide praised what Norway described as Pakistan’s important and constructive role during the recent Iran-US conflict.
According to Pakistan’s state broadcaster, the Norwegian foreign minister specifically acknowledged the leadership and diplomatic contributions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir during the crisis.
Pakistan and Norway had already maintained diplomatic contact on Middle Eastern tensions before Eide’s visit.
Dar and Eide spoke by telephone in March as regional tensions intensified, with both sides calling for de-escalation, respect for international law and a return to dialogue and diplomacy.
Their latest face-to-face discussions therefore build on months of diplomatic engagement.
Highest-Level Norway-Pakistan Engagement in a Decade
Eide arrived in Islamabad on Thursday morning and was received at the airport by Additional Foreign Secretary for Europe Ambassador Ayesha Ali.
His August 13-14 visit was undertaken at Ishaq Dar’s invitation and represents the first trip to Pakistan by a Norwegian foreign minister in approximately ten years.
Before the visit, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the talks would provide an opportunity to strengthen longstanding bilateral relations and explore new areas of mutually beneficial cooperation.
The visit follows sustained diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Oslo.
Dar and Eide held telephone discussions earlier in 2026, while Norwegian State Secretary Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik visited Islamabad in May.
The latest agreement on human smuggling adds a security and migration dimension to a relationship that both governments are also seeking to expand through economic, environmental, educational and maritime cooperation.
For Pakistan, closer coordination with Norway could support its broader effort to dismantle illegal migration networks while simultaneously seeking more secure and legal opportunities for Pakistanis travelling abroad.
For Norway, the cooperation provides another channel to address irregular migration through direct engagement with a major South Asian partner.
